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DEUTERONOMY 18:9-13

"GOD'S MESSAGE IN THE STARS"

I. THE FORBIDDEN PRACTICES.
        A. Seeking guidance through mystic or spirit forces.
                1. Horoscopes, "an observer of times."
                        a. Astrology has its roots back in Babylon just after the flood.
                        b. Your life is somehow controlled by the mystic forces of the
                           stars.
                        c. The position of the stars on the day you were born determine
                           your destiny.
                2. Fortune tellers, "one that uses divination."
                        a. The attempt to see into future events so as to better control
                           my destiny.
                3. Witchcraft, "the attempt to formalize certain spiritual laws so as to
                   use them to control the forces of good or evil."
                        a. The casting of spells upon others.
                        b. Witchcraft highly developed in Egypt in Moses day.
                                1. The ancient Egyptian books are highly regarded to
                                   present day.
                                2. The magicians stood in Pharoah's court.
                4. Spiritism, "the attempt to communicate with those in the spirit world,
                   usually dead loved one."
        B. Shouldn't modern education eliminate all this hokum?
                1. First of all, not hokum (occultic powers exist).
                2. Modern education creates the need and leads the way.
                        a. God to university book store.
                3. You expect to find these things in primitive cultures with people
                   steeped in superstition.
                4. One psychiatrist has blamed the liberal theologians for the rise in
                   popularity of the occult.
                        a. They were saying God was dead.
                        b. Miracles in Bible were myths.
                        c. Miracles of Christ were fantasies.
                        d. People must believe in the supernatural, therefore, if not in
                           church, search elsewhere.
        C. We would all like divine guidance for our lives.
                1. We know how error prone we are.
                2. We've made so many mistakes, we begin to get leery of our own judgment.

II. WHAT IS GOD'S MESSAGE IN THE STARS?
        A. Tragedy of urbanized life and air pollution.
                1. With the glare of the city lights, we see so few stars at night.
                2. One of our favorite evening occupations at the desert, drive out in
                   hills and look at stars. The heaves are awesome.
        B. They tell you God exists.
                1. Let men with their puny brains tell you that all matter was compressed
                   into small ball that exploded with a big bang.
                2. Nothing compares with the majesty, and credibility of "In the
                   beginning God..."
        C. They tell you of the vastness, glory, and power of God.
        D. I am now driven to seek to better understand God, a fuller revelation is what
           is needed.
                1. One day a star led wise men to the city of David where God began to speak
                   to men through His own dear Son.